The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-05
History of the VandalEa.

| organized in 1S49. and inspired by Mr..
| Chauncey Rose. of this city. There was consid-
cradle delay in getting to the work of construo-
ton. Strangely, at least strange now, opposi-
ton was met At some places along the road
the people were incredulous and said the road
was not needed; that one train a month would
carry all the surplus crop. ETC.. and that the
highways would be ruined and the cattle killed;
the peace and quiet of the country destroyed.
Illinois had just gone through q bitter expert
ence of exaggerated public improvements,
had other States. and the people were ekeptical
as to any of these big enterprises There
then but railroad in Indiana. the Madison
Il Indianapolis But Mr. Rose was indomitable
Many of the wealthy mon hereabout were disn-
clned to aid him. In New York, John Rose. his
brother, in mercantile life. was rich, and moved
in the best financial circles. He hel ped raise the
money, as did the Indiana firm of Winsow. La
Dier 81 Co, but most of it came from Boston
through q man named Wells who furnished the
iron. In the spring of 1851 the work of
struction began simultaneously at Indianapolis
and Terre Haute.
Mr.. Rose wanted man who practical and
who knew something about motive power John
Broueh. who as Auditor of the State of Ohio,
tracted the attention of Winsow, Laner e Co.,
the Madison people in New York, had been put
in charge of their Madison d Indianapolis road.
With him was a young man named Charles Il.
Peddle who had come out from the East. Pebble
took service with Mr.. Rose and went with him
use in the work of construction and was started
home with them. They were top-heavy things,
with no pilots and very clumsy machines. When
leaving Boston Mr.. Rose gave him money and
advice-the latter to the bank bills in his
vest, taking out occasionally enough pay
expenses: In those days you could not get
through bills of lading. and freight had TO be
paid at the beginning of each line. From
Boston they went to Troy, where they crossed
the Hudson on the bridge and then down to AL
bany. Thence, by what afterward became the
New York Central. to Buffalo. Here the four
engines were hauled through the streets to the
lake dock, and there, after much difficult work,
loaded on a vessel for Toledo. At Toledo two
canal boats were brought into service, and two
engines put on each boat Then began the long
ride down the Wabash 81 Erie canal. AT Def
ance, o., one boat continued on to Cincinnati,
the other coming around through Indiana to
Terre Haute. Two engines were wanted each
END of the proposed road; two were thus brought
to this end but the others were carried from
Cincinnati down the Ohio river, in the canal
boat and at great risk TO Madison, where Mr..
Brough turned over his force of mon and faeilI-
ties to get them up over the bluff by the incline
and on the track of the Madison & Indianapolis
road. From there to Indianapolis was COMPARE
lively easy Journey.
The first train over the road was o special car
rying Mr.. Rose and party William BauGh was
engineer He is still with the company here in
the shops. Three Taunton engines, with pilots,
were secured and passenger coaches from Co
iumbus .. The round houses being here, this
the starting and ending station, and so it
came that Terre Haute became the residence of
the train crews, as they tiled up here at night
and over Sunday. days work a passenger
round trip to indianapolis, about four
hours each way, for which the passenger fare
about five cents mile, So Go way.
Mr.. Rove retired president after few years,
to engage in the building of the Vincenues road
and the Rockville road. and to act executor of
his brother John estate, much of which was left
to himself Samuel Crawford, father Of Pay
master Frank Crawford, succeeded him until
pseH 1871 he dsd ans MIR
When business increased it was found
necessary to run trains at night. Heustis was
headlights. Mr. Pebble ordered some from
Cincinnati. and trains bsgan making night trips.
killing fewer cattle than expected sndNneeting
with serious accidents After a while Kicker
came in as superintendent. coming from some
where near Michigan City, and bringing with
him as his telegraph operator John S. Simpson,
afterward general manager. Then came Her
kimer as superintendent. but ne was turned
loose at the same time Mr.. Peck was voted out
of office, but that is part of another phase of the
roads history
When the road was in operation between
Terre Haute and indianapolis. the only route of
travel from ST. Louis east was by stage from St.
Louis here, thence by rail to Indianapolis over
the Madison e. Indianapolis to Madison,
by the Ohio river to Cincinnati, thence
over the Little Miami, and to the
Pennylvania road, zigzag trip of It, The
Terre Hautc IL Alton, now the /. & st. L., from
here west was built. along in 1853 or 1856 The
Indiana Central, from Indianapolis to Richmond,
was contemplated at the time the Il. III. Do 1. was
started, and il was to be part Of tho through
limo across the State, but the Wayne county
people, who were engineering the project were
slow. The Bee-lne was also started earlier than
the T. II. & l.. but did not reach Union City to
connect with the road building down to there
from Gallon soon as the L. H. 81 /. was com
pleted, that the T. II. 81 l. was the second
through road in the State, the Madison & In
dianapolis being the first. The Terre Haute &
Alton was In a very bad condition for several
years, until Mr. Griswold took it. Sometimes
the engines would come in covered with mud,
splashng through several inches of it near
St. Mary's. A; a. Talmage, now general
road then. He tells the story that when he had
n new engineer he went on the engine with him
to give him points. Running along over in Hi |
nos and making good time around some curves. |
the iolting grew monotonous. He watched the !
engineer bobbing up and down on his seat he |
saw the new man was getting nervous, and final |
1y he bounced up nearly to the top CT the cab;
he reached for the throttle to slow up. Talmaee |
caught his arm and prevented him. explaining |
that the head brakeman had his brake set tight; |
that with the throttle wide open the train was
kept taut, and that if the engine slowed up and |
set the to swaying they would swing off the |
track But under the Grswold management |
the road was improved and trains N ade good and |
regular time. The Indiana Central was |
built. but it continually brought in the Eastern |
trains an hour later than the arrival of |
trains the Bee line. The latter folks want |
ed Mr.. Rose to carry their trains right through, |
hut he showed favoritism to the Indiana Central. |
The Bee line folks then tried to buy up the T. |
II. e. l., aud presently letters written by Presi- |
dent Peck. in 1866 or 1867. TO New York parties |
the deal, were sent back here to Mr. |
Rose asking what they meant The directors
met and Mr.. Peck retired. did Superintendent |
Herkimer. who was his ally. Mr.. McKeen
seeded as president. andsMr Peddle as supesn-
tendent Then began the roads, the Bee
line building from Indianapolis here. and the |
Pennsyivana the Vadaa from here to St. Louis.
The latter was the first completed. Then the war
ard in the Union Depot at Indian
apols there lively times. caused by the |
runners of the two routes The Pennsylvania /
had an interest in the Terre Haute & Alton yet |
was its rival. Up to this time the Terro Hauto /
81 indianapolis had things all its own way, paid /
good dividends, and sometimes issued stock for /
dividends, having hard fight with the Legisla-